Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands

Periodontal disease is caused by a bacteria that impacts the health of your gums and teeth. When left untreated, over time, it can lead to swelling, missing teeth and other health problems. While it is uncommon for children to have periodontal disease, it can happen. More often however, children are impacted by a milder form of periodontal disease called gingivitis. Symptoms of gingivitis includes swollen, red and bleeding gums, especially when your child brushes or flosses their teeth. If your child is impacted by gingivitis, or you are beginning to see signs of redness or swelling, it is important to get an appointment for them to visit the dentist. By leaving the problem, it can become worse leading into other major dental problems that require more expensive dental care. More aggressive forms of periodontal disease are not uncommon among teenagers and older adult children. But helping them develop healthy habits from an early age can decrease the risk of periodontal disease....

Flossing is one of the most important activities your child can do, but it is often skipped over. The only way to protect your child from periodontal disease and gingivitis is to remove food from between the teeth. If your child flosses 1x a day, it will save your child from years of problems. Here are 5 tips to flossing correctly from Dr. Fuller & his team. 1.      Get floss that has wax. It can be difficult to get floss in between their teeth if their teeth are close together. Wax floss helps to glide between the teeth instead of getting stuck. 2.      Get floss that is meant for kids. Depending on the age of your child, the floss you purchase can make a big difference. Your seven year old may not yet have the dexterity they need to get regular floss between the back teeth. Providing a flosser can help. 3.      Floss 1x a day at the same time every day. By keeping the routine consisten...

Delta Dental reports, “Close to 9 billion dollars was spent on Halloween candy. It flooded the isles of the stores weeks prior and is left the shelves to end up in your home on the shelf.” Children consume over 100 pieces of candy in the first few weeks after Halloween. While candy in moderation isn’t necessarily the problem, candy does have an impact on children’s teeth. Candy has both short and long-term impact on children’s teeth and the health of their bodies, and not all candy is created equal. While sticky treats tend to stay on the teeth longer, this increases the opportunity for decay and plaque to attack the enamel and cause cavities.   The longer that candy is on the surface of the teeth, the greater the impact. Dr. Cameron Fuller suggests, "ff your children do consume a food that is sticky or any high sugar foods, it is important that they brush right away to remove debris from the surface of the teeth." This lessens the opportunity f...

Gums help protect your child's teeth from moving around their mouth. Gums have the important job of protecting the root of the tooth from damage as well as providing security from decay and cavities. The unfortunate part is that gums have one of the most important jobs in the mouth, but children around the world take this important part of their smile for granted. “The only way to ensure your child does not have cavities between their teeth is by regularly flossing,” says Pediatric dentist, Dr. CameronFuller. Without completing this task, gums become swollen, bleed and can eventually suffer from gingivitis. Flossing is the single most important task to save the gums, because brushing alone will never remove food from the tight surfaces between teeth. If gums are not in top shape, they can begin to pull away from the tooth. Teeth fit in between the gums and are held in place. As bacteria moves below the gum line, a pocket forms, this pocket can create ...